Page 20 of Broken Prince
“Mom!” I gape at her. “It was school-bus-yellow and made her look like a banana. I couldn’t let her buy it. Her friends clearly weren't being honest with her.”
“I have to warn you, James. Delaney will keep us on our toes. You never know what this girl is going to do.” Mom sighs, but I see the playful smile on her lip. She loves me.
“She will fit right in. The boys have been doing that for years,” James assures her.
“Mostly Owen,” Elijah chuckles. “I’m an angel.”
“Oh really?” I give him a look. He meets my eyes, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. He damn well knows he’s not an angel. Not with the things we did that night.
Elijah just shrugs and looks away shyly. It’s cute how easily he gets flustered. But he’s not the same man I met back at the resort. He was friendly, bubbly, and talked a lot. Now, he’s meek and quiet. I wonder what changed?
“What are your plans for today?” James asks Elijah.
“Nothing really. Just gonna hang out around the house.”
“Why don’t you go with the girls? Maybe help them pick something out.”
“Ahh.” Elijah looks taken off guard.
“Yeah, come. It could be fun.” He said he wanted to be friends... well, damn it, I’m gonna make this guy my friend whether he likes it or not. Maybe I’ll find out why he’s been avoiding me.
“Really?” he asks me, looking surprised. “You want me to come with you?”
“Why not? You’re family, after all.”
His face falls. “Yeah, family.” He takes a drink of his juice.
“So, is that a yes?” James asks.
“Why not.” Elijah smiles at my mom. “Maybe it could be fun.”
***
A few hours later, Mom finds the perfect dress. We both start to cry when she tries it on. It took trying on almost every dress in the store first, but it was worth it.
“You look like a princess,” I tell her, snapping a few photos.
“I feel like one,” she whispers, her smile so bright as she stares at herself in the mirror.
“Dad is going to lose his mind when he sees you.” We look behind us to see Elijah standing there.
“You think?” Mom asks nervously.
Elijah smiles. “Absolutely. You look stunning, Melissa.”
“Thank you.” Mom grins. “This is the one. I have to have it.”
“Are we saying yes to the dress?” Joy, the lady who owns the store asks as she steps into the dressing room area.
“Yes.” Mom nods eagerly. “This is the one.”
“Wonderful!” Joy claps. I’ve seen the price tag on that dress, I know why Joy is so... well, joyful. James is about to spend a small fortune on it.
I help Mom out of the dress, and Joy brings back a garment bag to put the dress in.
Following Mom out of the stall, I find Elijah standing there, placing some dresses on the rack. I already tried on a ton and hated them all.
Not wanting to put a damper on things, I told her that we should be focusing on her and I’ll keep looking after.